There is no shortage of opinions about what’s troubling our healthcare delivery system, but the one thing everyone can agree on is this: communication is critical. Technology – from interactive websites and Personal Health Records, to iPhone and iPad apps – is making it easier than ever for doctors and patients to communicate and share information, and the imPatient Movement is about helping everyone involved take an urgent and active role in getting (and keeping) the conversation going.

The simple fact is this: we will all be patients at some point in our lives, so regardless of what your role is today, you have a vested interest in the imPatient Movement.

As physicians and patients migrate from pen and paper communication to electronic tools, they’re simultaneously opening the door to new and better ways to work together for better health. More than simple convenience, making sure current and complete medical information is available when it’s needed is a cornerstone strategy that benefits everyone – patients, providers and the organizations that support them.

In electronic form, medical information is not only safe and secure – it can (and should!) be shared. The key is portability – systems and tools that seamlessly interface with other systems and tools so information can flow easily between all members of the healthcare team, including primary care physicians, specialists, patients, their families and trusted caregivers.

We recognize that there are many individuals, agencies, organizations and programs working independently toward the same end result. The imPatient Movement was created to help bring everyone together, where our best thinking and ideas can be shared and adopted.

In fact, the founding partners of the imPatient Movement were among the first to sign the Blue Button Pledge, demonstrating our commitment to secure and timely access to electronic health information.

Working together, we can leverage individual strengths toward a collective goal: better health.

Every day, more patients and providers are using these electronic IT (information technology) solutions to improve communication. Many doctors have transitioned to electronic health records for their practices, and consumers are creating electronic Personal Health Records to help manage their own and their families’ medical information.

As important as these steps are, they alone cannot solve the larger problem: electronic data that can’t be shared outside a proprietary system. An electronic health record that’s tied to a specific doctor or hospital doesn’t help the patient who’s seeing specialists outside that network. And a Personal Health Record painstakingly created and maintained by a patient isn’t doing much good if a doctor can’t or won’t accept data from it. Forcing a patient with a PHR to fill out a clipboard of forms at the doctor’s office? It simply doesn’t make sense.

Communication, especially electronic communication, requires collaboration…and that’s where the process is grinding to a frustrating halt.

The systems in place today are not the answer as long as they exclude the ability to share data. Data sharing technology already exists, but its adoption continues to lag. We’re here to hit the accelerator, and you have an important role.

The imPatient Movement is an urgent call to arms for patients and medical professionals who support open communication and medical data sharing. As a member of the Movement, you’re leading a charge that will positively change the future of American healthcare. Find your voice and tell others you’re imPatiently in pursuit of improved communication and better health.